Women hunters increase in New York state

As deer populations explode in New York state, women are increasingly hunting the animals. Women are the fastest growing demographic in hunting in both New York and across the country and account for 15% of hunters nationwide, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. While first-time adult male hunters have decreased 30% in New York state as well as in the U.S. over the past 15 years, women hunters have increased at about the same rate. In Long Island, in particular, this increase in women hunters is at a time when deer populations are expanding rapidly. In 2018, 53,000 women in New York got hunting licenses. In response, programs such as BOW, or Becoming an Outdoor Woman, were created to encourage women to hunt and give them a comfortable place to ask questions.